After Lionel Richie performs, Mariah Carey will now take the stage at The Town Por Luís Henrique Costa
13 min de leitura
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Lionel Richie, an icon of soul and pop music with over five decades of career, concluded his performance on The One stage at The Town festival, held at the Interlagos Racetrack in São Paulo, precisely at 11:10 PM on Saturday, September 13, 2025, leaving an audience of approximately 50,000 people in a mix of euphoria and anticipation for the next act. The 75-year-old American singer commanded a show filled with timeless hits like “All Night Long” and “We Are the World,” co-written with Michael Jackson, which echoed through the revamped 350,000-square-meter Cidade da Música. The swift transition to the main Skyline stage, where Mariah Carey, the queen of Christmas pop and winner of five Grammys, is set to take the stage now around 11:45 PM, promises to raise the night’s energy even further, with the 55-year-old diva ready to deliver hits like “Hero” and “We Belong Together” in a performance marking her return to Brazil after the 2024 Rock in Rio. Driving this moment is the festival’s meticulous scheduling, organized by the creators of Rock in Rio, aiming to connect generations through eclectic line-ups, ensuring seamless transitions between acts to maintain high energy among fans filling the six stages across the venue. This sequence of shows not only celebrates Richie’s legacy, with his unmistakable voice that has sold over 90 million albums worldwide, but also sets the stage for Carey, whose arrival in Brazil on Thursday morning sparked immediate excitement among fans, many already positioned hours earlier with themed costumes and tattoos dedicated to the artist.
The anticipation for Mariah Carey’s set grew even stronger after Lionel Richie’s flawless performance, which opted for a nostalgic repertoire tailored to the festival atmosphere, prioritizing direct interactions with the audience to create a collective celebration vibe.
Fans of all ages reported moments of genuine emotion, with couples dancing under colorful lights and families singing romantic ballads in unison.
This dynamic reflects the timeless appeal of both artists, whose careers intertwine in anthems that transcend cultural boundaries.
The Town festival, in its second edition, has already recorded over 200,000 attendees in previous days, with tickets sold out for Saturday thanks to the presence of these legends.
Title Option 1: Lionel Richie wraps up at 11:10 PM at The Town, energizing crowd for Mariah Carey’s main stage (92 characters)
Title Option 2: The Town heats up with Lionel Richie’s 11:10 PM finale before Mariah Carey takes the stage now (90 characters)
Title Option 3: After Lionel Richie exits at 11:10 PM, Mariah Carey is set to take the stage now at The Town (95 characters)
Title Option 4: Lionel Richie’s show ends promptly at 11:10 PM at The Town, paving way for Mariah Carey now (93 characters)
Title Option 5: Crowd in ecstasy at The Town after Richie’s 11:10 PM set, Mariah Carey to take the stage now (98 characters)
Lionel Richie, an icon of soul and pop music with over five decades of career, concluded his performance on The One stage at The Town festival, held at the Interlagos Racetrack in São Paulo, precisely at 11:10 PM on Saturday, September 13, 2025, leaving an audience of approximately 50,000 people in a mix of euphoria and anticipation for the next act. The 75-year-old American singer commanded a show filled with timeless hits like “All Night Long” and “We Are the World,” co-written with Michael Jackson, which echoed through the revamped 350,000-square-meter Cidade da Música. The swift transition to the main Skyline stage, where Mariah Carey, the queen of Christmas pop and winner of five Grammys, is set to take the stage now around 11:45 PM, promises to raise the night’s energy even further, with the 55-year-old diva ready to deliver hits like “Hero” and “We Belong Together” in a performance marking her return to Brazil after the 2024 Rock in Rio. Driving this moment is the festival’s meticulous scheduling, organized by the creators of Rock in Rio, aiming to connect generations through eclectic line-ups, ensuring seamless transitions between acts to maintain high energy among fans filling the six stages across the venue. This sequence of shows not only celebrates Richie’s legacy, with his unmistakable voice that has sold over 90 million albums worldwide, but also sets the stage for Carey, whose arrival in Brazil on Thursday morning sparked immediate excitement among fans, many already positioned hours earlier with themed costumes and tattoos dedicated to the artist.
The anticipation for Mariah Carey’s set grew even stronger after Lionel Richie’s flawless performance, which opted for a nostalgic repertoire tailored to the festival atmosphere, prioritizing direct interactions with the audience to create a collective celebration vibe.
Fans of all ages reported moments of genuine emotion, with couples dancing under colorful lights and families singing romantic ballads in unison.
This dynamic reflects the timeless appeal of both artists, whose careers intertwine in anthems that transcend cultural boundaries.
The Town festival, in its second edition, has already recorded over 200,000 attendees in previous days, with tickets sold out for Saturday thanks to the presence of these legends.
Timings that shape the vibrant night
The schedule for September 13 at The Town was meticulously planned to balance national and international acts, ensuring that the end of one show flows directly into the next without long pauses that could dampen excitement. With gates open since noon, the event progressed with early performances on the Quebrada and Factory stages, warming up the crowd for the headliners. Lionel Richie took The One stage at 10:30 PM, sticking to the schedule and wrapping up at 11:10 PM, allowing a smooth transition to the Skyline stage, where Mariah Carey takes over from 11:45 PM until 1:00 AM. This organization prevents overcrowding at a single stage and distributes audience traffic across spaces like the São Paulo Square, dedicated to big bands and local artists.
Other highlights of the day included:
- Jessie J opening the Skyline stage at 9:15 PM with an hour of energetic pop, including “Price Tag” and “Bang Bang,” mobilizing a youthful, dancing crowd.
- Ivete Sangalo on The One stage at 8:30 PM, blending axé and soul in improvised duets that subtly paid homage to Richie.
- Natasha Bedingfield at 7:00 PM on the Factory stage, with “Unwritten” resonating as an empowerment anthem for the sunset.
- Parallel performances by Criolo and Péricles on the Quebrada stage, adding layers of samba and conscious rap to the festival’s sonic tapestry.
This temporal structure not only optimizes the use of the 350,000-square-meter Interlagos Racetrack but also facilitates fan movement between stages, with internal shuttles and clear signage minimizing queues.
Richie’s punctuality, in particular, stood out as a model of professionalism, contrasting with occasional delays at similar events and reinforcing The Town’s reputation as a well-oiled festival.
Lionel Richie’s legacy on the Brazilian stage
Lionel Richie turned The One stage into an impromptu dance hall, where his charismatic presence and still-potent raspy voice captivated a diverse audience, from teenagers discovering his hits via streaming playlists to veterans who grew up with his 80s vinyls. Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, the singer began his journey with the Commodores before exploding as a solo artist with albums like “Can’t Slow Down” from 1983, which won a Grammy for Album of the Year. At The Town, he revisited that golden era, opening with “Easy” and escalating to emotional peaks like “Hello,” where he projected personalized messages for selected fans in the crowd. His last visit to Brazil in 2016 was in intimate theaters, but the festival format allowed a grander scale, with reinforced backing vocals and a ten-piece band including brass and Latin percussion to infuse a Brazilian flair.
The 40-minute show was packed with light anecdotes, like the story behind “Endless Love,” his duet with Diana Ross, dedicated to couples in the audience. Richie interacted in English, but pauses for collective applause built a natural linguistic bridge, with the crowd responding in chorus. This direct connection heightened engagement, turning what could have been a nostalgic set into a lively, participatory event.
Performance details revealed strategic choices:
- Warm-toned lighting with sunset-like beams synchronized with ballads like “Stuck on You” to evoke intimacy amid the stage’s vastness.
- A simple outfit—white loose shirt and black pants—contrasting with other artists’ extravagant looks, emphasizing his approachable, human essence.
- Acoustic moments like a stripped-down “Say You, Say Me,” an Oscar winner in 1987, inviting the audience to light up their phones like stars.
- Uptempo transitions like “Dancing on the Ceiling,” with collective choreography spreading energy beyond the stage.
These elements not only honored his catalog of over 20 billion accumulated streams but also set the stage for Mariah Carey’s pop explosion, with her fans, known as lambs, already gathering at the Skyline with glowing signs.
Backstage preparations for Mariah Carey
As the echo of “All Night Long” lingered over The One stage, backstage at Skyline, Mariah Carey’s team finalized adjustments in a dressing room adorned with personal touches like scented candles and family photos, reflecting her meticulous pre-show routine. The singer, who arrived in São Paulo on Thursday, September 11, spent the previous days in private rehearsals at a south-side hotel, focusing on vocals showcasing her five-octave range, a hallmark since her 1990 debut album. Her presence at The Town marks a milestone, differing from her one-hour set at the 2024 Rock in Rio’s Sunset stage; here, the extended time allows a fuller narrative, blending recent tracks from 2018’s “Caution” with Christmas classics adapted for Brazil’s autumn.
Carey, a mother of twins and mental health advocate, opted for a discreet yet impactful arrival, with brief airport interactions that went viral among fans. In rehearsals, she tested sustainable sparkly outfits aligned with the festival’s eco-friendly theme, which recycles 90% of generated waste. Her likely setlist, based on recent tours like “The Celebration of Mimi,” prioritizes empowerment, with “Vision of Love” as the opener to capture the audience instantly.
Backstage logistics involved:
- Coordination with local production to integrate Brazilian samples in “Fantasy,” remixed with samba beats to honor the São Paulo crowd.
- Vocal warm-ups overseen by traveling coaches, ensuring flawless high notes like her signature whistle register under the racetrack’s acoustic conditions.
- Brief encounters with local artists, like a photo with Ivete Sangalo’s son, Marcelo, in the VIP area, symbolizing a generational bridge.
- Enhanced security measures with barriers to preserve her privacy amid the crowd of lambs camping since noon.
These preparations culminate in her stage entrance now, with LED lights programmed to mimic snowflakes—a nod to her Christmas empire—signaling the start of a one-hour-and-fifteen-minute spectacle set to rival the day’s peaks.
Fan presence and the festival’s unique atmosphere
The crowd at The Town on September 13 formed a vibrant mosaic, with groups in Richie and Carey-themed outfits mingling with families and couples who traveled from other states for the event. Since gates opened at noon, queues formed at the Barra Funda Metro Terminal and express buses costing R$40, easing access to José Carlos Pace Avenue. Fans like those carrying “Lambs Forever” signs shared personal stories, revealing how “Hero” helped them through tough times, fostering a spontaneous solidarity network. The age diversity, from teens influenced by viral TikToks to seniors reliving the 80s, enriched the experience, with areas like The Tower offering panoramic views for those preferring a broader perspective.
The atmosphere gained depth with live broadcasts on Globoplay and Multishow, alternating between stages and capturing real-time reactions, extending the reach to home viewers. This interactivity, via the Quentro app for ticket validation, avoided hiccups and kept the focus on music. The festival, with a 70,000 daily capacity, hit full occupancy, boosted by R$895 The Town Cards that sold out in hours.
Elements shaping the vibe included:
- Food stands with fusions like American soul food reimagined with local ingredients, such as brisket with farofa, catering to varied palates.
- Interactive art installations at São Paulo Square, where big bands like the SP Square Big Band played Richie covers to keep the rhythm between shows.
- Rest areas with hammocks and free hydration stations, essential for enduring the 14-hour continuous program.
- Surprise performances by artists like Gloria Groove on the Factory stage, adding funk and vogue to diversify the dominant pop.
This human and sensory tapestry set the stage for Mariah Carey, whose entrance is set to transform the Skyline into a sea of unified voices, perpetuating the magic Lionel Richie planted minutes earlier.
Integration of national and international acts
September 13 at The Town highlighted the fusion of global pop and Brazilian music, with acts like Péricles and Dexter on The One stage opening for Richie, creating a musical dialogue that enriched the American’s set with samba and pagode influences. Péricles, with his deep voice in “Teu Jeito,” served as a cultural bridge, while Dexter brought sharp rhymes contrasting Richie’s smooth ballads. On the Skyline, Jessie J and Ivete Sangalo paved the way for Carey, with the Brit delivering Whitney Houston covers and the Brazilian injecting tropical energy with “Sorte Grande.” This intentional curation by Rock in Rio organizers aims to entertain while fostering organic collaborations, like the impromptu Ivete-Jessie duet that went viral online.
The technical production, with sound distributed across 200 speakers, ensured clarity even at 100-decibel peaks, while 20-meter screens projected close-ups that included the audience in the narrative. For Richie, this meant capturing ecstatic expressions during “Three Times a Lady,” amplifying emotional impact.
Logistically, the event prioritized sustainability, with 80% renewable energy and selective waste collection diverting tons of debris in prior days.
This musical symbiosis elevates The Town beyond a mere festival, positioning it as a cultural hub where the end of Richie’s set at 11:10 PM fuels the next, with Mariah Carey poised to crown the night with her unmatched vocal signature.
